1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an operator guidance system and an image forming apparatus incorporating the same, and more particularly, to an operator guidance system that provides guidance to a human operator, and an image forming apparatus incorporating such an operator guidance capability.
2. Background Art
An operator guidance system is employed in various types of modern electronic equipment to provide guidance to a human operator. For example, some image forming apparatuses, such as printers and photocopiers, incorporate an operator guidance system that provides instructions and support to an operator, for example, upon occurrence of a malfunction, such as a paper jam, where the operator is required to clear a jammed sheet of paper by manipulating doors, lids, plates, and other types of openable structure to access an internal, paper conveyance path of the apparatus.
Various methods have been proposed to provide an effective operator guidance system for use in an image forming apparatus.
For example, one conventional method provides a graphic display system for an image forming apparatus, which displays graphics information on a control panel of the apparatus. The display information includes a series of graphic screens, each illustrating a specific manual operation required to remove a paper jam from the image forming apparatus. Upon completion of every single operation presented on the control panel, the user is required to press a “next” button appearing on the display screen, which permits the control panel to switch from one screen to another illustrating a subsequent operation to be performed by the operator.
Another conventional method provides a user guidance system for an image forming apparatus, including a jam detector for detecting a paper jam at a plurality of locations in the apparatus, a memory for generating animated illustration of a procedure for removal of the paper jam, and a display device for displaying animation on a control panel of the apparatus. The display device includes an automatic switching capability that allows the control panel to present a plurality of automatically switching, successive screens illustrating an entire procedure for removing jammed paper once the operator pushes an “auto-transition” button appearing on the display screen.
Although effective for their intended purposes, the above-described methods have several drawbacks.
For example, in the non-automatic display system, switching the display screen requires the operator to perform an extra action (i.e., pressing the button) on the control panel, which can be confusing or annoying to the operator performing complicated manual operations on the equipment. Particularly where the operator, having executed several successive operations without viewing the display screen, seeks to know a subsequently required operation from the control panel, he or she is required to hit the “next” button several times to reach the corresponding display screen. Necessitating such extra button presses makes it inconvenient or difficult for the operator to follow the guidance information on the display screen, resulting in an increased time and effort to service the image forming apparatus.
Moreover, in both systems, determining whether all the paper jams have been properly cleared requires the operator to execute a predetermined manual operation, such as closing an access door, for triggering the display device to inform the operator of completion or incompletion of the paper jam removal. Such triggering action, which is sometimes unnecessary for removal of the paper jam itself, can make the procedure more troublesome than should be the case. In addition, lacking timely completion information on the control panel can cause the operator to believe falsely that some problem remains unfixed after removal of the paper jam, or feel awkward upon knowing incomplete removal of the paper jam only after closure of the access door.